Editor's Welcome

Abstract

It is with great joy and humility that I present to you my first issue of Italica as editor in chief. I know that I am walking on the shoulders of giants like Rudolph Altrocchi, Herbert H. Austin, John Van Horne, Joseph G. Fucilla, Olga Ragusa, Robert J. Rodini, Albert Mancini, Andrea Ciccarelli and Michael Lettieri, in chronological order, who served as editors before me, each of them with newly found opportunities and obstacles, and I am honored for this new charge I have been assigned. But it is also true, and those of you who know me are fully aware of it, that I love challenges. I generally face them with a genuine desire for collaborations and innovations, with attentive care and dedication, and with an unparalleled determination. Leading such an important journal that has delighted our eyes and minds since 1924 could not be possible without the commitment of the associate editors, in alphabetical order, Theodore Cachey, Luca Caminati, Roberto Dainotto, Clorinda Donato, Mark Pietralunga, Colleen Ryan, and Deanna Shemek; book review editor for this issue, Silvia Giovanardi-Byer; our newly-appointed book and media review editors, Jason Laine and Silvia Valisa; and the members of our board, Stefania Buccini, Clodagh Brook, Margherita Heyer Caput, Andrea Ciccarelli, Clarissa Clò, Silvia Contarini, Luca Cottini, Tiziana De Rogatis, Jonathan Druker, Lina Insana, Giuseppe Faustini, Patrizia LaTrecchia, Michael Lettieri, Armando Maggi, Andrea Manganaro, Carla Marello, Deborah Parker, Paolo Proietti, Costanza Quatriglio, Jeffrey Schnapp, Luca Serianni, and Massimo Vedovelli. I am especially indebted to Michael Lettieri who has been ever so patient and kind during this transition and punctually guided me despite his several professional responsibilities. The enthusiasm of these generous colleagues is even more palpable when I think of the voluntary hours spent discussing the direction of the journal, the submissions, and the details of our future publications. Words of gratitude are penned in this issue by Robin Pickering-Iazzi to remember our dear colleague Carole Lazzaro-Weis, who exemplifies such generosity and ongoing intellectual curiosity and legacy. I am also excited to work alongside the editorial staff of Italica's new publisher, the University of Illinois Press. Heather Munson has been instrumental in setting the design and in gathering the material needed to make this issue a reality. I would like to recognize the invaluable, though anonymous, assistance of the peer reviewers (you know who you are). It was a pleasure working with the contributors. Reading their submissions gave me the opportunity of discovering topics and approaches that are not so typical for my fields of research.As with preceding issues, you will notice here a wealth of themes and areas. The journal will continue to encourage and cultivate perspectives on the study of Italian language, literature, culture, media studies, and pedagogy. It will continue to publish high quality material produced by early-career authors as well as senior scholars. Each issue brings you research articles, review articles, and reviews. The new addition is a section freely titled Special Focus. This section will be dedicated to specific writers or filmmakers when there is a fortuitous (or not so fortuitous) high volume of submissions demonstrating notable interest and relevance; at times, it will serve as a venue to celebrate the anniversaries of said artists. Moreover, Italica's faithful readers will also be able to enjoy our first interview in a series of discussions with writers, filmmakers, linguists, and pedagogues. I invite you to read all the contributions as not only important intellectual processes and outcomes but also as tokens of love to the academic profession, with its undying intellectual inquiry. Engage with our authors as you are provided with their contact information. Networking and exchanging ideas is pivotal even in the “cubicles” of research in which scholars are, at times, bound to be confined (these past couple of years more so than ever).I feel privileged to be able to serve as the editor of this internationally renowned journal, and in this role to interact daily with colleagues all over the world, in different institutions and in different fields of study and instruction. Thank you for entrusting me with this precious work. I am just an email away if you need to connect with me. Looking forward to reading together with you all these new issues of Italica.Buona lettura!